Electric system



Nov. 14,1939. o. E. woLFF ELECTRIC SYSTEM Ori'ginal Filed March ll, 1958'7 Sheets-Sheet 1 lieven/'n'.

'7 Sheets-Sheet 2 O. E. WOLFF ELECTRIC SYSTEM Original Filed March 11,1.938

Nov. 14, 1939.

wSN.

Nov. 14, 1939.

o. E. woLFF 2,179,536

ELECTRIC SYSTEM Original-Filed March 11, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 14,1939. o. E. WOLFF 2,179,536

ELECTRIC SYSTEM Original Filed March ll, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 14,1939. o. E4 woLFF 2,179,536

` ELECTRIC SYSTEM original Filed March 11, i938 7 sheets-sheet 5 zvevn.Qt@ Edward M517 MMM ul. .EQ

Nov. 14, 1939. o. E. woLFF ELECTRIC SYSTEM '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 OriginalFiled March 11, 1938 mwN Nov. 14, 1939. o. E. woLFF ELECTRIC SYSTEMOriginal Filed March l1, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 IIIVOIGII1 kw s@ PatentedNov'. 14, 1939 ELECTRIC SYSTEM f om nani-d wom. immuun, Mm., mimort nuis. nner. Belmont, Msn., mum or uw B. 8. Bauer original summon umn 11,193s. sel-m No. f 185,468. Divided and this application April 18,

1838, Serial No. 202,708

so claim. (ci. 111-9'7) Ihe present invention relates to electricsystems, and more particularly to systems for feed- 'ing and stackingsheet material, like newspapers and periodicals. 'I'his application is adivision of application, Serial No. 185,408, filed March 11, 1938.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedelectric system for feeding and stacking sheet material.

A further object is to provide a novel control for an electric system.

Still'another object is to provide a novel switch structure. Y ,I Otherand further objects will be explained hereinafter, and will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a machine embodyingthe present invention, in preferred form, the section being takenupon'the line I I of Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, lookingin the dlrectionof the arrows;.

Flg. 3 is a vertical section taken uponv the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows;'

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the umts 'commutator disc:

Fig. 5 is a section taken upon the line 8 8 of Fig. 4, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section, taken upon the line 8 8 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 'I is a detail view, similar to Fig. 4, of the tens commutatordisc;

Fig. 8 is a section taken upon the line 8 8 of Fig. 7, looking in thedirection of the arrows; Fig. 9 is a section taken upon the line 8 8 ofFig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig, 10 is a vertical section taken approximately upon the line Il II ofFig. 1, looking in the direction opposite to the direction of thearrows; Fig. 11 Iis a vertical section taken upon the line of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of 451, 2,133,259, 2,133,260, 2,133,261,2,133,262. 2,133,263,2,133264 and 2,133,165, granted October 11, 1938,and the said application, Serial No. 195,408l to which reference may bemade. One oi' the side frame plates or walls of the machine is shown inFigs. 12 and 13 at |88, but the controlling mechanisms therefordescribed herein are contained within a housing 83.

The invention may, for example, be explained in connection with themachine of Letters Patent 2,133,263.

A plurality of newspapers may be placed, in

lapped relation, upon inclined continuously travellng conveyor belts,indicated in the said Letters Patent 2,133,263, at 3, by which an`dother -feed mechanism, they are fed forward into a hopper, shown in thesaid Letters Patent 2,133,263, at 338. At the bottom of this hopper,there are shown in the said Letters Patent 2.133.263 inclinedcontinuously traveling belts 8 that feed the newspapers further forwardtoward a table, shown in fthe said Letters Patent 2,133,263, at 8|, onwhich they become accumulated in theform of a stack. During the feedingof the. papers out of the said hopper 338 and before they reach thetable 8|, they are counted. As each newspaper 2 advances forward out ofthe said hopper 338, its forward edge engages, and passes under, acounting finger, illustrated in Figs. 14 to 16 of the present drawingsat I3. The ilnger |3 is integrally fixed to a. horizontally disposedshaft |54, about which it is pivotally actuated toward the left by thetraveling newspapers, becoming thus raised, in opposition Ito the forceexerted by a two-way leaf spring |84, above a supporting plate (notshown) upon which the finger I3 normally rests.

The two-way leaf spring |84 carries a contact member |64 that, asillustrated more particularly in the said Figs. 14 to 16, is normallyseparated from a cooperating contact member |66, carried by a two-wayleaf spring |88. The leaf spring |88 is normally biased, so as normallyto Contact with a limiting stop (not shown). to each pivotal raising ofthe finger I3 by the successive papers, as they travel out of the saidhopper 338, a cam |56, that is fixed to the pivotal shaft |54, effectsengagement of the contact member |64 with the contact member |68,raising the leaf spring |66 out of contact with the said limiting stop(not shown). The spring |84 continuously engages the cam |56 to forcethe finger I3 back into contact with its supporting plate (not shown)after each paper` has traveled on beyond it, toward the said table 8|,illustrated in the said Letters Patent 2,133,263.

usv

In response Each raising and lowering of the counting fingen I3 willresult in registering a count, as will b'e hereinafter explained, toindicate that another newspaper has been conveyed by the said conveyorbelts 6 from out of the said hopper 336 and stacked on the said table6I.

As illustrated in`Figs. 14 to 16, contact member |64 is connected,through the leaf spring |64, to a conductor 230, and the contact member|66, through the leaf spring |66, to a conductor 204. The contact member|66 is connected, by way of the leaf spring |66 and the conductor 204,to one side of counter-controlling electromagnetic coils The coils 202are mounted upon a magnet core 600 provided with an armature 326, thatis lntermediately pivoted at 2|0, as illustrated'more particularly inFigs. i and 3. The contact member |64 is similarly connected, by way ofthe leaf spring |64 and the conductor 200, and by way of otherconnections that will be described hereinafter, to the other side of thecounter-controlling electromagnetic coils 202. The said otherconnections include a movable contact member 22 on a two-way leaf spring20 that is normally in engagement with a stationary contact member 24.

The contact member |64 is also connected by the leaf spring I 64 andtheconductor 200 to a set of ten units push-button switches 606, a set oftens push-button switches 602, and selector commutating discs 2|3 and2|1. The number of paper to be conveyed out of the said hopper 336, andstacked on the said table 6I, is predetermined manually by manualadjustment of the proper push-button switch or switches 602 and At eachclosing of the contact members |64 "and |66, in response to theactuation of the counting finger I3, therefore, the circuit of thecounter-controlling electromagnetic coils 202 becomes closed, by way ofthe conductors 200 and A 204 to control the actuation of a counter 2I6.

The counter 2I6 is shown as a ratchet wheel provided with slightlyoffset ratchet teeth 2I6. This ratchet wheel 2 I6 is fixed to a countershaft 220, which is connected by gears 240 and 24| and a shaft 242, asshown more particularly in Fig. l, or any other suitable mechanism, toactuate a dial 224. The shaft l220 is journaled in ball bearings 223provided ,f in walls 303 and 22| in the housing 03, and extends to theright of the wall 22| as viewed in Fig. 1, toward. one of the outerwalls 2II of the housing 63. The left-hand ball bearing 223, as viewedin Fig. l, is mounted in a rotary collared sleeve 264, for a purposethat will appear hereinafter. The collar of the sleeve is disposed atthe right of the wall 303, as viewed in Fig. i, and the body thereofextends through the wall 303, to the left thereof. -The'counter ratchetwheel 2I6 is fixed by means of'a pin 301 on the extending part oi' theshaft 220 and is separated from the wall 22| by a shim 226 against whichit is thrust by a coil spring 246. 'Ihe ratchet wheel stantly drivenfrom a constantly driven sprocket wheel |68 upon the shaft 226. One endof the shaft 226 is journaled in a bearing 243 in one of 'the frameplates 2| I, and the other end extends freely into a socket 221 at thefree end of the sleeve 226, and is locked to the sleeve 226 by a key 244fixed to the shaft 226 and extending into a key slot 246 in the said endof the sleeve 226. The spring 246, coiled about the sleeve 226, thrustsagainst the friction-clutch disc 226 and a collar 241 that is fixed tothe shaft 226. The friction-clutch disc 226 is thus yieldingly pressedconstantly against the counter wheel 2I6 to provide a loose connectionbetween the shafts 226 and 220 and to transmit rotative movement to thecounter wheel 2I6 from the constantly driven sprocket wheel |66.

Continuous rotative movement of the counter wheel 2 I6 is, however,prevented by a spring-controlled ratchet double pawl 206 mounted uponthe armature 326 so as to be pivoted therewith at 2|0.

The pawl 206 is provided at.its ends, on opposite sides of its pivot2I6, with two oppositely acting pawl teeth2|2 and 2|4 for engaging theratchet teeth 2I6 of the ratchet counter wheel 2I6. The tooth 2|2 of theratchet pawl 206 is held normally in engagement with a ratchet tooth 2I6 of the counter wheel 2 |6.by a spring 222 that is mounted about thepivot 2I0 (Figs 1 and 3). Upon the closing of the circuit of theelectromagnetic coils 202 by the contact members |64 and |66, inresponse to the actuation of the counting finger I3, the amature 326will be actuated by the energized coils 202 about its pivot 2I0,clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3, in opposition to the action of thespring 222. The pawl 206 will be rocked'with the armature 326 upon whichit is mounted, effecting the separation of the tooth 2|2 of the ratchetpawl 206 from the said ratchet tooth 2I6. The tooth 2I4 is, at the sametime, actuated into engagement with another tooth 2I6. The next moment,the finger I3, as the paper thereunder passes beyond it, will beactuated by the spring |64 to efl'ect the actuation, in the oppositedirection, of the cam |66, and the consequent separation of the contactmembers |64 and |66. i This will result in the opening of this circuitof the coils 202. The spring 222 will thereupon rock the pawl 206 in theopposite direc- `tion, counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3, to

cause the tooth 2I4 torelease its tooth 2I6 and the tooth 2|2 to engageanother tooth 2I6 of the ratchet wheel 2I6. The pawl 206 is actuated bythe armature 320 of the magnet coils 202 and the spring 222 like anordinary escapement pawl, with its teeth 2|2 and 2|4 engaging the teeth2I6 of the ratchet wheel 2I6 alternately. 'I'he counter wheel 2| 6 isthus rotated step-by-step from the sprocket wheel I 66 throughsuccessive angular distances corresponding to one tooth 2 I6 for eachpaper. Successive movements of the counting wheel 2I6, tooth by tooth,one tooth at a time, become thus registered on the dial 224, to registera total count corresponding to the papers -2 fed by the conveyor 6 outof the hopper 336.

After leaving the counting finger I3, the papers 2 are fed into the bitebetween vertically disposed continuously traveling lift belts of aconveyor, shown in the said Letters Patent 2,133,

263, at I1 and 2|, which feeds the newspapers, as they are received fromthe said hopper 336, vertically upward.

Each paper is then fed from above the said table 6|, at a downwardincline, on' to the top x of the said stack accumulated on the saidtable 6|. During this downwardly inclined feeding, the papers travelover a downwardly inclined guide,

shown in the said Letters Patent 2,133,263, at 36,

and under downwardly inclined guide arms or members, shown in the saidLetters Patent 2,133,- 263, and in Fig. 14 herein, at 66, toward andagainst stops, constitutedv of integrally bent portions. 58 of the saidguide members 55. The said bent portions 58 project downward. so as tobe engaged by the forward edges of the newspapers, thus limiting thefurther travel of thepapers. The newspapers thus become successivelydeposited on the top of the said stack on the said table 3|. each on topof the previously deposited paper, in engagement with the said stops.

As also explained in the said LettersPatent 2,133,263, and asillustrated in Fig. 14 herein, to equalize the pressure exerted by themon the uppermost sheet of the said stack, these two guide members may beseparated by a yoke 43 that is pivoted at to an arm 4|. The guidemembers 55 are thus always maintained in proper position for guiding thepapers to the top of the stack 88. The upper portion of the saidconveyor 2|, and related parts, are automatically raised vertically, inaccordance with the height of the said stack. This is effected by theimpact of the papers,

passing under the said guides 55, in opposition to the force of gravity.

Half-revolutions of a collar |88 are eected by clutching the collar |88to a drum |13 (as shown more particularly in Fig. 6) that is normallymounted loosely on a. shaft |10 (Fig. 12) so as to be free to turnthereon. The drum |13 is constantly rotated, at constant speed, from asprocket gear |15 that is integral therewith. One end |13 of a spring|11, that is wound around the outside of the drum |13, is held in a hole|32 in the collar |88 (as 'illustrated more particularly in Fig. 6), andthe other end 8| is held in a hole |8| of a collar |83 that normally isloosely mounted on the drum |13, so as to turn freely when the spring|11 1s free to do so, 'it will.

.I through4 its own resiliency. engage and wind itself tightly about theconstantly rotating drum |13. so

as to become tensioned thereagainst, by friction. The spring |11 willthus be caused to rotate with the drum |13, carrying with it the collars|83 and |88, and thereby effecting the rotation of the shaft |10, towhich the collar |88 is fixed by the screw 58. The tensioned spring |11thus effects the clutching of the shaft |10 to the drum |13, so as tobecome rotated from the sprocket wheel |15.

More than a half-revolution of the shaft |10 is prevented by the lug 30|on the collar |83, during its rotation inf its circular path about theaxis of rotation of the drum |13, coming into engagement with the lug300 of the upper armature 302 or the lower amature 304, as the case maybe. The rotation of the collar |33 will thus become interrupted, and theend |8| of the spring |11 will be held back from further rotation. Thiswill' effect a partialunwinding'of the spring |11 from its irictionalengagement'with'the drum |13, so as to render it loose again upon thedrum |13. The drum |13 will continue to rotate, but the collar |83 andthe shaft |10 secured thereto will have become unclutched therefrom.

The lugs 300 'of the armatures 302 and 304 thus operate in alternation,to interrupt the rotation of the shaft |10 at the end of eachhalf-revolution thereof. In response to the successive closings of thecircuits of the upper and the lower electromagnetic coils 3|8 and 3|8,respectively provided with cores |00 and |02, therefore, the shaft |10becomes rotated through successive half-revolutions to effectintermittent actuation of a table l2, up and down, into its twoeffective and ineffective positions, and to control the contact members81 and |3 and the contact members 22 and 24.

The circuit of the coils 3|8 becomes closed to start the feed at thebeginning of each cycle of operation, and the circuit of the coils 3|8becomes closed to stop the feed at the end of each ,cycle of operation,under the control of the commutating discs 2|3 and 2|1 of the selectorand the push-button switches 808 and 802. A shaft 528, on which themaster switch 318 is mounted, is set into operation at the end of eachcycle of operation by the closing of the circuit of electromagneticcoils 38. The final half-revolution of the shaft 10, for effecting thefinal raising of the table |2, to stop the further operation of themachine, is effected by closing the circuits of the electromagneticcoils 3|8 through the medium of the master switch 30. A shaft 823, onwhich the master switch 30 is mounted, may be set into operation bymeans of a clutch mechanism of the above-described character; not,however, under the control of electromagnetic coils, but mechanically,under the control of a reset pushbutton 234, as hereinafter described.The operation of the reset push-button 234 results also in actuating asimilar clutch for returning the selector commutating discs 2|3 and 2 |1and related parts to their initial positions, as more fully describedhereinafter. The shafts 528 and 828 of therespective master switches 318and 30 are shown in Fig. 6 bridged by a leaf spring 231, and they areinsulated from each other by separating collars320 and 32|.

Shafts 48 (Figs. 13 and 14), 11 (Fig. 14), 84 (Fig. 14) and 528 (Figs.6, 10 and 14) are provided with continuously rotating sprocket gears for.rotating them intermittently, through the medium of a drum |13 integraltherewith, in the same way that the sprocket gear |15 rotates the shaft|10. The driving sprocket gears for the shafts 48 and 528 are shown at|38 and |35, but

' those for the shafts 11 and 84 are not shown herein, though they areillustrated in the said application, Serial No. 195,408, at |32 and 251,respectively. These shafts 48, 11, 84 and 528,un like the shaft |10, areactuated through complete revolutions, instead of through onlyhalfrevolutions, at each engagement of the lugs 30| of the collars |83by the lugs 300 of the respective armatures 304. The two sets ofelectromagnetic coils 3|8 and 3|8 are, therefore, replaced by only' asingle set oiv coils 43 (Fig. 13), 15. 82 and 38 (Figs. 6 and 10),respectively, mounted upon a core |08, and provided with but a singlearmature 304. The relation of these coils to their respective shafts isshown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. A biasing spring 36, attached to a baror other support 34, positioned opposite to the armature 304 on the yoke308, normally maintains the yoke 308 and the armature 304 thereon in theposition illustrated, for example, in Figs. 6y and 13, so that the lug30| ,normally engages the lug 300 of the armature 304. In otherrespects, the operation is substantially the same as described above andin the said application. Serial No. 195,408.

As is further explained in the said application, Serial No.- 195,408,any desired number of groups of ten, twenty-five, fifty, etc. papers maybe stacked on the said table, with semi-rotations of the said tablebetween the stacking of the successive groups. The said table 3| isturned by K rotating a vertically disposed shaft 35 (Fig. 14) upon whichit is mounted. Half-rotations of the shaft 35 are effected, in timedrelation to the operations above described, by means of a rack 43| thatmeshes with a gear 432 secured to the shaft 88. The rack 43| is providedupon a horizontally disposed bar 438 that is slidably actuatedhorizontally, first to the right,`and then to the left, as .viewed inFigs. 1 and 14. The slidable actuation of the bar 438 is effected bymeans of a crank pin 429 disposed in a slot 888 provided at one end ofthe bar 438. The crank pin 428 is mounted upon a gear 4 secured to theshaft 428. The shaft 428 is driven by a gear 38 on the shaft 84 that iscontrolled by the electromagnetic .coils 82. The gearing is so designedthat, corresponding to a half-revolution of the shaft 428, the shaft 88shall be turned through a half-revolution; and when the shaft 428 isturned a further half-revolutionA to its`original position, the shaft 88shall likewise be' turned a further halfrevolution to its originalposition. These halfrevolutions are effected at the end of the feedingof the papers in groups of ten, or any other desired number.

To effect the raising and lowering of the guide members 88, they arerendered pivotally movable upward in substantially vertical planes,about a pivot 248, in opposition to the action of a spring, not shownherein, but illustrated in the drawings of the said application, SerialNo. 195,408, at 4|8. rThis maybe effected in any desired manner, as bymoving a vertically disposed link 443 toward the left, as viewed in Fig.14, into engagement with a pin 431 mounted upon an arm 249 that is fixedto the ar'm 4|. A bell- 1Hcrank lever 444 is actuated by means of a link448 from a crank pin 441 on a gear 48|.

These operations, commencing with the raising of the guide members 88,are synchronized by the master switch 318, in the course of one completerevolution thereof, brought about by clutching the shaft 828 to theconstantly rotating gear |88. In the course of this complete revolution,the master switch 319 is caused to engage successively contact members889, 818, 812 and 814.

The contact members 888 and 812 are connected together by a conductor81| that is connected, in turn, to a conductor 813 that leads, by way ofa conductor 12, to the coils 43 for actuating the shaft 48 to raise andlower the guide members 88. The contact member 818 is similarlykconnected, by a conductor 818, to the coils 92 for actuating the shaft84 to turn the said table 9| through half-revolutions. The contactmember 814 is connected, by a conductor 818, to the electromagneticcoils 3|8 for lowering of the table I2 to restart the feeding of thepapers 2 out of the said hopper 338. The engagement between the masterswitch 318 and the contact members 889, 818, 812 and 814 need be butmomentary. As soon as the master switch 318 moves out of engagement withcontact members 888 and 812, respectively, for example, the coils 43become deenergized, and the spring 98 returns the armature 384 to itsnormal position.

At the end of the counting of the predetermined number of papers desiredto be stacked for any particular dealer, and their accumulation in thesaid stack, the said stack is removed from the said table 8|. To thisend, the said table 8| is constituted of a frame comprising parallelhorizontally disposed slats alternating in position with the positionsof similarly disposed elongated rolls, illustrated in the said LettersPatent 2,133,283, at 823.

The said table 8| is raised and lowered by effectingsuccessivehalf-revolutions of a cam 99 on a shaft 88 in response toactuation of the clutch controlled by the electromagnetic coils 18 foractuating the shaft 11 (Fig. 14). A gear 18 on the shaft 11 drives agear 19 on the shaft 98. The diameter of the gear 18 is half that of thegear 19, in order thatthe cam 98 shall be actuated through successivehalf-revolutions in response to complete revolutions of the shaft A11. Acam follower 421 disposed at the lower end of the table shaft 98 followsthe cam 99 downward in engagement therewith, carrying the said tablewith it. A further half-revolution of the shaft 88 results in restoringthe cam 89 and.

therefore, the said table, to their normal positions. The face of thegear 432 is wide enough so as to remain in mesh with the rack 43| bothwhen the said table is in its uppermost and its lowermost positions.

To effect removal of the stack of sheets. the table 8| is lowered belowthe said continuously rotating rolls 823, with its said slats into thespaces between these rolls. The lowering of the said table effects thelowering of the stack of papers into contact with the said rolls 823.The stack becomes thereupon moved by the rolls 823 oif the said table.

The contact members 388 and 314 of the master switch 38 are connectedtogether, by a conductor 31|, to a conductor 1|, that is connected bythe conductor 12 to the coils 43; and the contact members 318 and 312are connected together, by a conductor 13, to a conductor |84 that isconnected to the coils 18. The engagement ofthe master switch 38 withthe respective contact members 388, 318, 312 and 314 need be butmomentary, the same as the engagement of the master switch 318 with thecontact members 888. 818, 812 and 814.

The commutating discs 2| 3 and 2|1 of the selector are both constitutedof insulating material, and are respectively provided with tubularprojections 281 and 288, as illustrated more particularly in Figs. 1 and4 to 8 (the showing Yof Figs. 14 to 16 is more diagrammatic), thatextend oppositely to each other intoa conducting sleeve 28|. The discs 2i3 and 2|1 are respectively further provided with centrally disposedconducting annuli 288 and 282, that are disposed opposite to each otherin electrical contact with the ends of the conducting sleeve 28|, theparts being joined together into a unitary spool by screws 288. Thisspool is disposed between the walls 22| and 383, and the counting shaft228 extends through the insulating tubular projections 281 and 288thereof, so as to be insulated from the conducting sleeve 28| and theconducting annuli 288 and 282. A roll 832 (Figs. 10 and 14 to 16), thatis in continuous engagement with the annulus 282, serves as a brushcontact member. The counting shaft 228 engages frictionally against theinterior walls of the tubular .projections tightly enough to transmitthe step-by-step rotary movement of the-counting shaft 228 to the spool.This ,frictional engagement is loose enough, however, to permitrotatable adjustment of the spool about the shaft 228 to its initialposition upon the completion of the stacking of each stack of papers onthe said table. As hereinafter described, this return of the spool toits initial position is eiected in response to manipulation of the resetpush-button 294. The spool is thus rotated step by step, from theconstantly rotating sprocket gear |98, under the control of the ratchetwheel 2|8 and the escapement pawl 288, but is resetperiodically to itsinitial :grasse B position before the commencement of the stackinl of e4ch new stack.

The c mmutating disc' 2li constitutes a unitscounter control, and thecommutating disc 2I1 constitutes a tens-counter control. The disc 2limay,"therefore. be referred to as the units disc and the disc 2H as thetens disc. It will now be explained how these discs control the circuitsof the electromagnetic coils SIB, SIB, 43, 15, B2 and Ii and theconsequent operation of the respective shafts |10, 4U, 11, 84 and 528,so as to actuate the cams |05 for controlling the position of the tableI2 and the feed of the papers out of the said hopper, the raising andlowering of the guide members 55, the turning and the lowering andraising of the said table, and the actuation of the master switch 318.

The units commutating disc 2I3 is associated with an assemblageconstituted of a group of nine substantially equally spaced segmentalcontact members 624, electrically connected to the centrally disposedannulus 250. The segmental contact members 824 are marked in Figs. 4 and11 with the nine units numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. As the saidspool is rotated with the shaft 220, step by step, as before described,these segmental contact members B24 willcooperatively engagesuccessively an assemblage constituted of a group of ten substantiallyequally spaced units contact members 2I5 circumferentially associatedwith the disc 2I3. They are marked, in Figs. 1 and 14, with the tenunits numbers 0, l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively. The contactmembers 2I5 are respectively connected by wire conductors, as shown inFig. 14, and as hereinafter described, with the set of ten unitspush-button switches 60E, corresponding to the ten units numbers 0, 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and correspondingly marked in Fig. 14.Corresponding openings |52 in a plate I5! into which they extend may besimilarly marked on the plate. The two relatively actuable assemblagesof contact members 624 and 2I5 both extend over substantially the samedistance, along the circumference of the units commutating disc 2I3. Anynumber of these units pushbutton switches 606 may, of course, beemployed, cooperating with a correspondingly designed units commutatingdisc 2I3.

Because there are ten units contact members 2i5, and only ninecooperating segmental contact members 624, they may be so disposed that,as the shaft 220 is rotated, step by step, by the constantly drivensprocket gear I98, the contact members 2I5 shall engage singly andsuccessively the segmental contact members 624. The spacing of thecontact members 624 and 2I5 is so related to the step-by-step actuation0f the shaft 220 and the commutating disc 2| 3 driven thereby that onecontact member 2 I5 always engages one and one only of the segmentalcontact members 624.

The order in which the segmental contact members 824 engage the contactmembers 2| 5 will now be described in connection with Fig. 1l. It shouldbe noted that, in this Fig. l1, the disc 2 I3 is shown from the sideopposite to that shown in Fig. 14. It will be assumed that the shaft 220is' rotated past the contact members 2I5 anti` clockwise, as viewed inFig. l1 (or clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 14).

In the ilrst or initial position of the units commutating disc 2|3, thefirst segmental contact member 624, marked 0, is alone shown in Fig. -11engaging the first contact member 2I5,

which is also marked 0. At the end of one count, the first segmentalcontact member 024 marked 0 will have been moved anti-clockwise, asviewed in Fig. 11, out of engagement with the contact `member 2i! marked0, and the second segmental contact member 624, marked 1, will have beenmoved anti-clockwise into engagement with the second contact member 2I5,marked 1, which will alone, at this time, engage a segmental contactmember |24. At the end 1of two counts, the second segmental contactmember O24, marked i, will have been moved anti-clockwise out ofengagement with the second contact member 2I5 marked 1, and the thirdsegmental contact member 624, marked 2, will have been movedanti-clockwise into engagement with the third contact member 2I5, marked2, which will alone, at this time, engage a segmental contact member824. At the end of three counts, the fourth segmental contact member024, marked 3, will alone engage a contact member 2I5, lwhich will bethe fourth, marked 3. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninthsegmental contact members 824, respectively marked 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8,will, similarly, singly and successively, alone engage the fth, sixth,seventh, eighth and ninth contact members 2I5, respectively marked 4, 5,6, 7 and 8. In the Acourse of the first eight stepby-step actuations ofthe counting shaft 220, corresponding to the iirst eight counts ofthecounting ratchet; Wheel 2 I8, therefore, the eighth segmental contactmembers 624 marked 1 to 8, will, in that order, successively and singlyengage the successively disposed eight contact members 2 I5 marked 1 to8. At the ninth count, the ninth segmental contact member 624, marked 8,will have been moved anti-clockwise out of engagement with the ninthcontact member 2 i 5, marked 8, and the first segmental contact member624, marked 0, will have been moved into engagement with the tenthcontact member 2 I 5, marked 9. At the tenth count, the first segmentalcontact member 624, marked 0, will have been moved anti-clockwise out ofengagement with the tenth contact member 2| 5, marked 9, and the secondsegmental contact member 624, marked 1, will have been movedanti-clockwise into engagement with the rst contact member 2I5, marked0, which will alone, at this time, engage a segmental contact member624. The position will then be the same as shown in Fig. 11, except thatthe second segmental contact member 624, marked 1, will now be inengagement with the rst contact member 2I5, marked 0; and this willagain be the only segmental contact member 624 in engagement with anycontact member 2i 5.

During these first ten step-by-step actuations y of the shaft 22B,therefore, the commutating disc 2I3 will have been actuated through anangular distance corresponding to that between two suocessive segmentalcontact members 624. The operation is obviously similar to that of avernier. During the next nine step-by-step actuations of the shaft 220,the operation above described will be repeated. The segmental contactmembers 624, marked 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 0, l, will successively andsingly engage the contact members 2I5 marked l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.At the twentieth count, Ithe segmental contact member marked 2 will bemoved into engagement with the ilrst contact member 2I5 marked 0.

During the next ten counts, this operation will contact member 624,marked 3, will be moved into engagement with the first contact member2lb, marked 0.

At the fortieth count, the fifth. segmental contact member i526, marked4, will be moved into engagement with the first contact member El@marked 0; at the ftieth count, the sixth segmental contact member 26,marked 5, will be moved into engagement with the firstcontact member 2lbmarked 0; etc. At the eightieth count, if the operation were to proceedthat far, the ninth segmental contact member e245, marked 0, would b-emoved into engagement with the first contact member Elli, marked 0.

With the arrangement illustrated, and with only eight tens push-buttonswitches bild, as also illustrated, it is not possible to count to anygreater Inumber because oi the action of the lugs 265 and @22 (Figs. l.and 2), the function of which, as hereinafter described, is to reset thecommutating discs 2l@ and 2li! and the spool of which they constitute apart. The apparatus can, however, easily be adapted to the counting ofany desired number of papers stacked, and other means thanthe lugs Zliband 522 can be provided for resetting the commutating disc spool. t caneven be reset by hand.

The tens commutating disc Zll is provided with but a single segmentalcontact member lil, electrically connected to the centrally disposedannulus 252 and, therefore, through the sleeve 25|, to the annulus 250and the group of segmental contact members 6213. During the stepby-steprotation oi the before-mentioned sleeve by the counter shaft 220, thecontact member i@ will be rotated in synchronism with the segmentalcontact members @32d successively to en'u gage cooperatively a group ofany desired numloer, usually ten, of substantially equally spaced tensor other multiple contact members 2l0 circuznerentially associated withthe'disc 2li. The contact members I4 and 2li), like the contact members624 and 2l5, may be regarded as constituting two relatively actualoleassemblages, one of the assemblages comprising only the single contactmember i4.

The contact members 2lb and 2l9 are shown in the form of rolls. eachfreely ,movable pivotally. as shown more particularly in Fig. 9, about apin at one end of an arm 230, the other end of which is pivoted about a*pivot member 23! that extends through the wall v22I or 303. The

arms 230 are spring-pressed, each by means of a spring 232, so as toprovide yielding engagement between the contact rolls 2I5 and ZIS andthe peripheries of the discs 2l3 and 2H, respectively. Firm contact isthus obtained between the contact members 2I5 and 2I9 and theircorresponding commutating discs 2I3 and 2I`I, with a minimum offriction.

-The provision of ten units contact members 2I5 and ten tens contactmembers ZIB will provide for counting up to one hundred papers.Additional sets of ten contact members each will usually be provided toenable counting to hundreds, thousands, etc., thus to provide for thecounting and stacking of any number of papers.

For simplicity, however, only eight contact members 2I9 are illustrated,respectively connected by wire conductors, as shown in Fig. 14, and ashereinafter described, with the set of eight tens push-button switches602.

The tens push-button switches 602 are marked in Fig. 14 with the tensnumbers 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70, respectively. Correspondingopenings I53 in the plate ISI into which they extend arcanes may besimilarly marked on the said plate. illorresponding markings are placedopposite to the contact members 2i@ of Fig. 10, and upon the disc 2M inFig. 14. 1n Fig. i4, the tens push-button switches 502 are shownpositioned in reverse/order to the actual positions on the machine, inorder to simplify the showing of the circuit connections.

in cooperation with the assemblages of contact, members 2HE and 2m, andthe assemblages oi' contact members 62d and iii, the set of tenspush-button switches 602 controls the total tens, and the set oi unitspush-button switches 606 the total units, of the total count, andtogether they control the total number, of the papers accumulated in thestack 89. With this arrangement, as stated, therefore, by suitablecombinations of the tens push-button switches 602 and the unitspush-button switches 605, it is possible to count and accumulate inthestack 88 up to eighty papers.

lThe contact member I4 is just large enough so that one end of itbecomes actuated into engagement with one of the contact members 2l@when its other end is actuated out of engagement with the next-precedingcontact mem ber 2lb. Initially, the tens commutating disc 2li occupies aposition such that the contact member i@ engages the contact member 2I9marked 0, as illustrated in Fig. 10. In the course of the rst tenstep-bystep actuations of the counter shaft 22e, while the successivesegmental contact members 624 engage successively the successivelypositioned contact members 205, as

before described, the contact member I4 will remain in engagement withonly that one contact member 2I9, marked 0 in Fig. 10. At the eleventhcount, when the segmental contact member 524 marked 2 engages thecontact member 256 marked 1, as before described, the contact member I4will be actuated from the contact member 2l9 marked'O to the nextcontact member 2I0, marked vl0. In the course of the next tenstep-bystep actuations of the shaft 220, during which the successivesegmental contact members 824 will again engage successively thesuccessively positioned contact members 2I5, as before described, thecontact member I4 will remain in engagement with the one contact member2I9 marked 10. During the next ten step-by-step actuations of the shaft220, the contact member I4 will similarly remain in engagement with thethird contact member 2I9, marked 20; and so on. In all cases, thecontact member I4 remains in engagement with one contact member 2I9 onlythroughout the ten step-by-step actuations of the counter shaft 220corresponding to the ten single and successive engagements of thecontact members 2I5 and 624, before moving into engagement. with thenext contact member 2I9.

The push-button switches 602 and 606 extend through openings in the xedcover plate 20| of the housing 93 and also through the openings |62 and|53 alined therewith in the pivoted plate IBI therebelow. They arenormally respective lacks lil, so as to be normally inefi'ective, andthe tens switches 802 are normally effective, so as cooperatively toestablish electrical contact with their respective Jacks 8| 2. Thepush-button switches may, however, be depressed to their loweredpositions. in which the units switches 808 become cooperativelyeffective to establish electrical contact with their respective jacks8I2, and the tens switches 802 become ineffective, so' as to breakconnection with their respective Jacksv 8|2. To this end, the unitsswitches 508 are provided with upper conducting sleeves or collars 54and lower insulating sleeves or collars 53 and the tens switches 802 areprovided with uppe'r insulating sleeves or collars |05 and with lowerconducting sleeves or collars |01. In its raised position, therefore,leach units switch 888 prevents any iiow of current between the arms ofits jack 5I0 .because of the insulating collar or sleeve 53 interposedbetween them; inV

its lowered position, however, each units switch 805 bridges the arms ofthe jack 8|0 through the medium of the conducting collar 54. Each tensswitch 802, on the other hand, in its raised position, bridges the armsof its jack 8|2 to establish electrical contact between them; and, inits lowered position, 'each tens switch 802 insulates the arms of thesejacks 8 I2, by means of the conducting sleeves |08, to prevent the flowof` current between them. I

By reason of this arrangement, aswill hereinafter appear, one of theunits push-button switches 808 in its lowered position, and all exceptoneof the tens push-button switches 802, in their raised positions,control the stacking of a corresponding number of papers.

If, for purposes ofillustration, it may be assumed that it is desired tostack sixty-five papers,

the units push-button switch 888 marked 5 and the tens push-buttonswitch 802 marked 60 will both be depressed in their respective jacks6|0 and 8 I2, the remaining push-button switches 802 and 886 remainingraised. 'Ihe depressed pushbutton switches will control suitableelectric circuits for effecting thefeeding out of the hopper 389 and thecounting of the desired number of papers and their stacking on thesaidtable; in this case, sixty five. i

.The reset push-button 294 is disposed above one end of a lever |48 thatis fixed to a shaft 48 so as toextend to one side thereof, as viewed inFig. 14. Upon the reset push-button 284 becoming depressed, the lever|49 will be pivotally actuated clockwise,` as viewed in Fig. 14,effecting a corresponding rocking movement of the shaft |48 in bearings280. 'Iwo levers |50 and 282 are secured to the shaft |48 so as toextend to the left thereof, as viewed in Figs. 18 and 19,

in a direction opposite to the direction of extension of the lever |49.Rods 284 (Fig. 14) and 288 (Fig. 10) that are secured to the undersideof the plate |5| are rockably mounted in bearings in the respectivelevers |50 and 282. The rocking movement of the shaft 48 transmittedthereto by the reset push-button 294 will, therefore, be come municatedto the levers |50 and 282 and, from them, to the plate |5|. The plate|5| will thereupon become raised upward, causing the walls of theopenings |52 and |58 to be actuated into engagement with collars |55provided upon the push-button switches 882 and 808 to raise thesepush-button switches up into their original undepressed positions.

Two further levers, one of which isshown at 288, and the other of whichis shown in the drawings of the said application, Serial No. 195,408, at205. are secured to the shaft |48. The lever 288 is connected by a link|88 to aforked arm |1| that is pivoted at 288. The lever 205 is contheframe of the housing 88, and a sleeve (not shown) that is integral withthe lever |51 is mounted to turn freely thereon. Actuation of the lever|49 by the reset push-button 284 will thus rock the shaft |48 pivotallyto actuate these links |55 an'd |88. 'I'he arm |1| and the arms 210 ofthe forked member |51 are provided with lugs 300, similar to the lugs300 before described.

The lugs 800 of the arm |1| cooperate with a lug similar to the lug 30|before described, on a cylindrical housing 38|. The housing 33| issecured to the collar |88 that is fixed to the shaft 828 of the masterswitch 30 by the screw 58, as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 6.The coiled spring |11 is wound about a drum |14, similar to the drum|18, and is adapted to become tightened to clutch the shaft 828 to theconstantly rotating gear |81. The gear |81 is xed by one of the screws56 to a sleeve 28| that is mounted loosely about the shaft 828. The end|18 of the spring |11 is held in the hole |82 of the collar |88 and theother end |8I is held in the hole |9| of the collar |88, that is free torotate about the sleeve 29|. When either lug 800 of the forked arm |1|is engaged by the lug 80| of the housing 33|, therefore, the spring |11will be unclutched from the drum |14', and the sleeve 28| will alone beconstantly driven by the sprocket gear |91'.

The normal position of the parts is illustrated in Fig. 10. Upon thedepression of the reset pushbutton 294, the link |88 will actuate theforked member |1| out of its normal position, releasing the lug 39| ofthe forked arm i1| from engagement with the right-hand lug 308 of thehousing 38|, and actuating the left-hand lug into the path of rotationof the lug 88|. The spring |11 will thereupon clutch the collars |83 and|88 and the shaft 828 of the master switch 38 to the constantly rotatingsleeve 29|, until this lug 80| becomes engaged by the left-hand lug 300of the housing 38|. at the end of a half-revolution.

Upon the release of the push-button 294, the

release of the push-button 284, the master switch 80 will successivelyengage also the con- `tact members 812 and 814 to restore the said tableto its raised position and to relower the guide members 55 to theiroriginal position.

The lugs 800 on the arms 210 of the'forked member |51 cooperate with alug 80| on a cylindrical housing |59, mounted upon a'shaft 208 that isalined with, and loosely connected to, the shaft 220, as shown moreparticularly in Fig. 1.

A drum [|66 and a spring E62 inside the housing H59 cooperate in thesame way as' the drum lli and the spring V11. The upper lug 680 of theforked member ii'ill is actuated out oi. engagement with the lug 38H ofthe housing E59 by depression of the reset push-button 294i (Fig i). Asprocket gear 201 is fixed to the shaft i286 by one of the screws 58, soas to be constantly rotated thereby. The sprocket gear ill, in turn, isactuated by a sprocket chain H63 that is driven from a sprocket wheel296 on the shaft G88. The drum U61 is fixed to the shaft 296 by a pin212, so as also to be constantly rotated.

One end of the spring 062 is held in an opening (not shown) in a collar21d that is free to turn about the shaft 206, in the same way that theend im of the spring iill is held in the opening |9i. The other end ofthe spring 562 is held similarly in an opening 218 in an annular plate218 that is held to the housing W9 by a screw 218. The housing 159 issecured to the collar 21e by a screw 291. When, upon the push-button 299becoming depressed, the lug 3M of the bousing 59 becomes released fromits engagement with the upper lug 308 of the forked member E61,therefore, the spring G62 will wind itself tightly about the drum tdi tocause the housing |59 to be rotated with the constantly rotating shaft206.

The housing |59 will carry with it, in its rotation, a sleeve 280 thatis keyed to the housing |59 at 282. The sleeve 288 is keyed also, at283. to the collared sleeve 264. The collar oi' the sleeve 284 isprovided with the lug G22 for engaging the lug 285 on the disc 2id, asiilustrated more particularly in Figs. 1 and i0. The spool that carriesthe discs 2l3 and 2F11 is thus caused, by the engagement oi the'lugs 622and 285, to be rotated from the continuously rotating sprocket gear 201about the shaft '220. Upon the return of the reset push-button 295 toits upper position, to permit the parts to resume their normal positionby gravity, the lug 30H on the housing |59 will be restored intoengagement with the upper lug 300 of the forked member |51. IThe spoolwill then have been rotated by the lugs 622 and 285 to a position suchthat the selector discs 2|3 and 2|1 will be restored to their initial orzero positions, illustrated in Figs. 11 and 10 respectively.

The electric system is normally ineiective to energize theclutch-controlling coils 3|6, 3|6, 43,

83, 15 and 36. It is rendered effective by manually depressingselectively the proper push-button switches 602 and 606 and operatingthe machine through a cycle or group of cycles of operation. Thenecessary circuits will be rendered effective, in sequence, at the endof predetermined rotative movement of the counting wheel 2|8, asdetermined by the counting finger I3, and as controlled by the contactmembers 624 and Il of the respective commutating discs 2|3 and 2|1.

The wiring connections will be understood from Figs 14 to 16. The firstor 0 contact member 2|5 of the commutator disc 2|3 is connected by aconductor 4|3 with the jack 6I0 of the first or 0 units push-buttonswitch 606. The second or 1 contact member 2li is connected by aconductor 4|5 with the jack 6||| ofthe second or 1 units push-buttonswitch 606. 'I'he third or 2 contact member 2I5 is connected by aconductor .M1 with the third or 2 units push-button switch 606; and soon. The sixth or 5 contact member, for example, is'connected by aconductor 68 with the jack iii@ of the sixth or 5 push-button switch6F36; and the last or 9 con tact member 2id is connected by a conductorM9 with the jack 660 'of the last or 9 units pushbutton switch 606.

The lrst or 0 contact member 259 of the commutating disc 261 issimilarly connected by a conductor 5.2i with the jack @i2 oi the firsttens push-button switch 682, marked 0; the second or 10 contact member21S! is connected by a conductor 8M with the jack 05H2 of the secondcontact member 682, marked lik-the sixth or 50 contact member 218 issimilarly connected by a conductor 5225 with the sixth or 50 tenspushbutton switch 602; the seventh or 60 contact member .tit` by aconductor 23 with the seventh or 60 push-button switch 606; and the lastor 70 contact member 2|9 by a conductor 42| with the last or 70push-button switch 886.

Though the spool on which. the commutating discs 2|3 and 2|1 are mountedis rotatably actuated by the shaft 220, so that the respectivesegmentalcontactmembers 629 shall engage successively their respectivecooperating contact members ZIE and the contact member ill shall engagethe necessary contact members 219, respectively,

circuits for effecting the desired operations are notI completelyestablished, notwithstanding the engagement of these contact members,except when the corresponding units and tens push-button switches 600and 602 have been depressed. By connecting the sixth units push-buttonswitch 605 marked 5, for example, so as to connect it, through itsconducting sleeve 54, with its corresponding sixth contact member 215, acircuit will be established between this sixth units pushbutton switch606 and the corresponding contact segment B24, at the end. of ilvecounts.

A motor 8 for driving the machine may be connected to power-supply mains6I and 430 of alternating current by means of a line switch 293 (Figs.24 to 26).

Power is supplied to the counter-and-selector mechanism from the shaft|88, driven from a sprocket chain |90, which extends through the housing93 to support certain sprocket gears, including the sprocket gear |92,whichA actuates a. sprocket chain |93 that passes over, to driveconstantly, the three sprocket gears |96, |91 and |98 for respectivelyactuating, in the manner before described, the shaft 528 of the masterswitch 318, the shaft 629 of the master switch 30, and the .shaft 241for yieldingly driving thel counter shaftl 220 through thefriction-clutch disc 228.

The power-supply mains 6| and 430 are also connected by the line switch293 to, a'rectifierand-lter 319 (Figs. 4 to 16). The circuit to therectifier-and-tllter 319 extends, on one side, as shown in Figs. 14 to16, from the main 6|, through the line switch 293, and by way of aconductor 62; and, on the other side, from the main 430, through theswitch 293, by way of a conductor 63. One Fide of therectiiier-and-filter 319 is connected to a. ground 6H, and thel otherside to the conductor 26. All the hereinafter-mentioned grounds areconnected to the ground 9M. '.I'he ground 6M constitutes one side, andthe conductor 26 the other side, of a source of rectifiedand-filterednon-pulsating direct current for energizing all the hereinafterdescribed circuits of the before-described electromagnetic coils, andalso the circuit of a high-resistance neon signal lamp ||6.

It will be assumed that the machine is at rest.

'The master switches occupy their normal illus- 75 trated positions, themaster switch 318 between the contact members 814 and 888, and themaster switch 30 between the contact members 314 and 388. The table |2has previously, at the end of the prior cycle of operations, been raisedby the cams |05 on the shaft |10 to its normal effective position,raising the papers in the said hopper, so that the machine can not feedany papers 2 out of the said hopper, as described in the said LettersPatent 2,133,263.

The cam |80 on the shaft |10 occupies, at this time, its normalposition, illustrated in Figs. 14 to 16, in engagement with the two-wayleaf spring Il, so that the contact members 22 and 24 are in engagement,and the contact members 81 and I8 are out of engagement. The variousarmatures 304 occupy positions such that their lugs 300 are engaged bythe lugs 30| of the collars |83, so that the corresponding collars |88are unclutched from the drums |13. The shaft 208 for effecting Ithere-setting of the discs 2|3 and 2|1, under the control of the resetpushbutton 284, likewise occupies its normal position.

Let it be assumed, as before, that the units push-button switch 808marked 5, and the tens push-button switch 802 marked 60, have beendepressed, as illustrated in Fig. 14, so as to count and stack 65sheets, the remaining push-button switches 806 and 802 being maintainedin their raised positions. The closing of the line switch 203 willconnect the motor 8 and the rectifierand-iilter 319 to the power-supplymains 6| and 430. The motor 8 will set the belt conveyors 3 intooperation to effect the feeding of newspapers into the said hopper, butthe raised table l2 prevents feeding of the papers out of the saidhopper. The various sprocket. gears before-described are set intocontinuous rotation to drive continuously the drums |13 of the shafts|10, 48, 11 and 84 to which they are respectively secured. As the shafts|10, 48, 11 and 84 are not, at this time, clutched tc the respectivedrums |13, however, they are maintained stationary. The cams |08 of theshaft |10 remain raised, therefore, to hold the table i2 in its raised,effective position.

The 'machine may now be started into operation by depressing the startpush-button switch |0. A circuit becomes then established to effect thelowering of the table |2. This circuit may be traced in Figs. 14 to 16from the conductor 28, through the two-way leaf spring 20 and thecontact members 22 and 24, that are normally maintained closed by thisleaf spring 20, and by way of the conductor 28 and conductors 28, 428

and |39, to the start push-button switch l0. The

circuit continues from the start push-button switch |0, by way ofconductors 84 and 8E, to the lower electromagnetic coils 3i'8, and fromthese coils 3| 8, to a ground 88.

The closing of this circuit of the lower coils 3|8 will cause them tobecome energized to actuate, about pivots 308 and 3|0, a yoke 308, so asto move the lower armature 304 thereof toward the right, and the upperarmature 302 thereof toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 12. The lug 30|on the collar |88 will thus become freed from its engagement with thelug 800 of the lower armature 304. The spring |11 will, therefore,clutch the collar |88, and the shaft |10 to which it is secured, to theconstantly rotating drum |13. The shaft |10, with the substantiallydiametrically positioned cams |05 and |80 carried thereby, will thusbecome actuated through an initial half-revolution only. The resultinglowering of the cams |08 permits lowering of the bar supports of thetable |2 to their ineffective position, about their pivot |28, bygravity, thereby lowering the papers in the hopper 830 into engagementwith the continuously traveling belts. The resultant raising of the cam|80 effects raising of the contact member 81 into engagement with thecontact member I8, that is mounted on the two-way leaf spring 20, at thesame time raising,the contact member 22 out of engagement with thecontact member 24. The breaking of the engagement of the contact members22 and 24 effects the opening of 'the above-described circuit of theelectromagnetic coils 3|8 for effecting the lowering of the table I2.The closing of the contact members I0 and 81 effects the closing of twocircuits. One of these circuits, through the contact members |04 and|88, at the successive moments when the latter become closed by theraising of the counting arm I3, includes the counter-controllingelectromagnetic coils 202. The other circuit leads to the push-buttonswitches 802 and 808 and the selector commutating discs 2|3 and '2|1.

Upon the table I2 becoming lowered, the belts 8 begin to feed the papers2 out of the hopper 338, through the gap between them and the lowerprojecting finger i8 of the wall and under the counting finger i3. Asthe papers 2 pass successively under this counting finger i3, theysuccessively actuate it, to effect the closing of the contact members|84 and |86. The circuit of the counter electromagnetic coils 202 may betraced from the conductor 28, through the leaf spring 20, the contactmembers i8 and 81 which, at this time, are held closed by the cam |00,by way of conductors 25 and 200, through the leaf spring |84, thecontact members |84 and |80, and the leaf spring |08, and by way of theconductor 204, to the counter electromagnetic coils 202; and from thecoils 202, to a ground 68. The successive closing and opening of thiscircuit of the coils 202 by the counting finger l0, as before explained,results in step-bystep rotatable actuation of the counting wheel 2|8,the counter shaft 220 to which it is secured, and the counter 224 andthe commutating discs 2|3, 2|1 of the selector.

The contact members 81 and I9 control not only the circuit ofthe.countercontrolling electromagnetic coils 202, but also, as beforestated, the circuit to the push-button switches 608 and 602. Thelast-named circuit extends from the conductor 28 through the leaf spring20 and the switches i8 and 81, to the conductor 25; and from theconductor 25, by way of a conductor 830, to the conductor 628. Thecircuit can not be traced further from the conductor 626 through thearms of the `iacks 6|0 unless one of the units .switch buttons 808 hasbeen depressed.

The circuit can not, for example, be traced by way of the conductor 413to the contact member 2 5 marked il, which is initially engaged with thesegmental contact member 824 marked 0, because the' first-push-buttonswitch 808, marked 0, is open. The same is true as to the next foursegmental contact members 824, which becomel actuated, singly andsuccessively, into engagement with the next succeeding contact members 25, at the end of the next four additional counts, as before described,since their corresponding units push-button switches 808 are raised, asshownv in Fig. 14. The units push-button switch 808 marked 5 alone beingassumed to have been depressed, the other units push-button switches 608beingraised, as illustrated in Figs. 14 to 18, the contact member 2|5marked 5 is exclusively effective, in cooperation with the units disc2|3, to control -the number of papers that shall be accumulated on the'table 8| before the nextfollowing operation. A similar remark applies,of course, to the contact members 2I9 of the disc 2I1 and the tenspush-button switches 802.

After five step-by-step actuations ofthe counting shaft 220, thecommutating disc 2|3 will have become actuated thereby, step-by-step, toits sixth position, in which contact will be made between the sixthcontact member 2|5, marked 5, and the sixth segmental contact member824, marked 5. A group of five papers, the number predetermined by theunits push-button switch 808 marked 5, will have become counted andaccumulated in the stack upon the said table. Before any more papers 2will be stacked on the said table, the circuit of the electromagneticcoils 3|8 will become closed, to effect actuation of the shaft |10through a half-revolution, in order that the cams |05 may raise thetable I2, thereby to stop the feed of the papers out of the said hopper.'I'he circuit of the said coils 3|8 continues from the units push-buttonswitch 808 marked 5 and the arms of the jacks 8|0 bridged thereby and,by way of the conductor 83, to the sixth contact member 2|5 marked 5.

From the sixth'contact member 2|5 marked 5, the circuit continuesthrough the sixth segmental contact member 624, marked 5, which is inengagement therewith at this time, to the annulus 250 (Fig. 1); and,from the annulus250, to the 35 sleeve 25|. The circuit continues fromthe roll 632, in engagement with the annulus 252, by way of conductors|43 and 620 (Figs. 14 to 16) to the electromagnetic coils 3I8; andfromthe coils 3|8 to a ground 580.

The coils 3|8 become thereupon energized to actuate the upper armature302 to the right, as viewed in Fig. l2, thereby releasing its lug 300from engagement with the lug 30| of the collar |83. The spring |11thereupon binds against the shaft |10 to clutch the constantly rotatingdrum |13, thereby to eiect a half-revolution only of the shaft |10 andthe cams |05 and |80y carried thereby, as before described. Thishalfrevolution of the shaft |10 results in raising the cams |05 to raisethe table i2, thus-stopping the feed of the papers out of the saidhopper. The cam |80, at the same time, becomes lowered through ahalf-revolution to release the leaf spring I8, effecting the breaking ofthe engagement of the contact members 81 and I9, and the reengagement ofthe contact members 22 and 24. The breaking of the engagement of thecontact members 61 and I9 effects the opening of the above-describedcircuit to the counter electromagnetic coils 202 and the circuit to thepushbutton switches 808 and 602, the commutator discs 2|3 and 2I1 andthe coils 3|8. The reengagement of the contact members 22 and 24 makespossible, at the proper time, the reestablishment of thecircuit of theelectromagnetic coils 3|6, for effecting the relowering of the table I2and the starting anew of the feeding of the papers out of the saidhopper.

Immediately after the feed has been stopped by lifting the table I2,following upon the .stacking on the said table of the first group offive papers 2, the guide members 55 will be raised, the said table willthen be turned a half-revolution, and the guide members 55 will berelowered, after which the table I2 will become relowered, to permit thestacking on the said table of ten more papers, making fifteen papers inall. This is effected by means of the master switch 318 during itsrotation through a complete revolution when the shaft 528 becomesclutched to the constantly rotating sprocket gear |85 (Fig. 6) upon ener'gization Iof the electromagnetic coils 36.

The circuit of these coils 38 was established simultaneousy with theestablishment of the above-described circuit of the table-controllingelectromagnetic coils, and before contact was broken between the contactmembers 81 and I8. 'Ihis circuit may be traced as a branch circuitextending from the conducting sleeve 25| to the conducting annulus 252v(Fig. 1) and the contact member I4 of the disc 2I1 connected therewith.The contact member I4, as before explained, is at this time in contactwith the first contact member 2I8, marked 0. The circuit continues byway of the conductor 421, the first tens pushbutton switch 808, marked0, which has not been depressed, and the arms of the jack 8|2 thereof,

by way of conductors |45 and 38, to the electrocoils 38 to a ground 35.The electromagnetic coils 38 thereupon become energized to actuate thearmature 304 (Fig. 6), thereby releasing the lug 30| of the collar |83from its engagement with the lug 800 oi the armature 304. Thecorresponding spring |11 thereupon clutches the shaft 528 of the masterswitch 318 to the constantly rotating sprocket gear |85 to actuate themaster switch 318 throughout a complete revolution. Before the end ofthis complete revolution, the above-described circuit of the coils 38having meantime become ybroken by the contact members 81 and I8, thearmature 304 will have become restored to its original position by thespring 88, so that its lug 300 will become reengaged by the lug 30| ofthe collar |83, preventing more than A the one revolution of the shaft528 and the master switch 318 controlled thereby.

During lthis complete revolution of the master switch 318, it willfirstmake contact with the contact member 568. A circuit will thereuponbe established from the conductor 25, through the leaf spring 20 and thecontact members 22 and 24, which have become closed by the cam |80simultaneously with the lowering of the cams |05, and by way ofconductors 28, 28 and 428, to the master switch 318. The circuitcontinues from the master switch 318, through the contact member 568,arid by Way of the conductors 51| and 513, to the electromagnetic coils43; and

from the electromagnetic coils t3 to a ground 42. The consequentenergization of the electromagnetic coils 43 effects the actuation ofthe armature 304. 'I'he lug 300 of this armature 304 becomes moved overto the right, releasing the lug 30| 1 on the collar |83, and permittingthe spring |11 to bind tightly against the drum |13, thereby to eectclutching of the collar |83 to the collar |68. The shaft 48 becomesthereby rotated through a complete revolution, or until the lug 30|becomes reengaged by the lug 300 on the armature 304, which has becomerestored to its normal position by the spring 88. During this completerevolution, the gear 50 on the shaft 48 will rotate the gear 45| and thecrank pin 441 mounted thereon tlrough a half-revolution, to effectactuation of the link 443 upward and to the left, as viewed in Fig. 14,about the pivot 248, through the medium of the links 445, 444 and 448.The guide members 55 will thus become raised pivotally above the top ofthe said stack, about the pivot 248.

When the master switch 318 becomes actuated into contact with thecontact member 510, a circuit becomes established from the master switch318, through this contact member 510, by way of the conductor 515, tothe electromagnetic coils 82; and from the electromagnetic coils 82 to aground 83. The circuit of the electromagnetic coils 82 becoming thusclosed, the coils will become energized to effect rotation of the shaft84 through a complete revolution, in the same manner as beforedescribed. During this complete revolution, the gear 86 will rotate thegear 4 through a half-revolution. The crank pin 429 on the gear 4 willthus become actuated through a half-revolution, thereby effecting anactuation of the rack 43| to drive the gear 432 and the shaft 95 onwhich it is mounted `through a halfrevolution. This will result inturning of the said table and the stack thereon through ahalfrevolution.

Meantime, the master switch 318 has been moved out of contact with thecontact member 510, and into contact with the contact member 512. Acircuit becomes then established from the master switch 318, through thecontact member 512 and, by way of the conductor 513, again, to the coils43. At the time of the breaking of the contact between the master switch318 and the contact member 568, the spring 98 returned the armature 304to its original position. Upon this reclosing ofthe circuit of the coils43, the armature 304 becomes again attracted to the right, thereby againreleasing the lug 3M of the collar I83 from engagement with the lug 308of the armature 304, and permitting a further revolution of the collarI83, and a consequent further rotation of the shaft 48. The gear on theshaft 48 thereupon drives the gear 45t, which is of diameter twice thatof the gear 50, back to its original position, permitting the guidemembers to become restored to the position illustrated in Fig. 14,

In its next position, the master switch 318 makes contact with thecontact member 514. A circuit is then established from the master switch318, through the contact member 514, and, by way of the conductor 516,through the coils 3IS, to the ground S6, The consequent energization ofthe coils 3IB will effect a rotation of the shaft V10 through a furtherhalf-revolution, in the same manner as before described, to effect thelowering of the table I2 by the cams H05 to its ineffective position,permitting the recommencing of the feeding of the papers out of the saidhopper and, thro-ugh the cam i60, the reopening of the contact members22 and 24 and the reclosing of the contact members I9 and 81;

The said table, with the stack of ve sheets thereon, has now beenrotated through a halfrevolution, while the guide members 55 wereraised, and the guide members 55 have been restored to their normalposition. With the table I2 relowered, the machine again commences tofeed the papers out of the said hopper and on to the stack. The closingof the contact members I8 and S1 by the shaft i60 has reestablished thecircuit of the counter-controlling electromagnetic coils 202, and alsothe circuit to the push-button switches 608 and 802 and the commutatingdiscs 2i 3 and 2I1. The electromagnetic coils 202,

therefore, will resume control, through the pawl 208, of thestep-by-step actuation of the shaft 220.

During the feeding of the first group of five Abutton switches 30S inthis sequence, but in a position reverse to that of the original stackof the first five papers, the shaft 220 will be actuated ten steps,corresponding to ten counts, as controlled by ten further operations ofthe paw] 208. 'I'he actuation of the before-described sleeve and thediscs 2I3 and 2I1 mounted thereon may be regarded as in two steps; onestep corresponding to the feeding of the first five papers of the nextgroup of ten papers; and the other step corresponding to the feeding ofthe second five papers of this group of ten. The contact segment I4remains in contact with the same first contact member 2I9, marked O,during the feeding of the first ve papers of this next group of tenpapers; and in contact with the next-succeeding contact member 2I8,marked 10, during the feeding of the remaining five papers of thissecond group of ten papers.

During the feeding of this further group of ten papers., the contactsegments 824 will singly and successively become actuated intoengagement with their corresponding contact members 2i5, as beforedescribed. The first nine of these actuations will correspond to theopen push-button switches 608 marked 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, l, 2, 3, 4, to whichthese contact members 2I5 are connected. The tenth will correspond tothe tenth pushbutton switch 803 marked 5.

At the tenth additional count, or fifteen counts in all, correspondingto the feeding and stacking of fifteen papers, therefore, the contactmember 624 marked 5 will again become actuated into engagement with theContact member 2 i5 marked 5, which is connected to the push-buttonswitch 608 marked 5. Thereupon, two circuits will again becomeestablished through the commutating disc 2I3. One of these is throughthe brush-contact roll 632, which is always in contact with the annulus252, and by way of the conductors |43 and 820, to the electromagneticcoils 3I8. The other may be traced from the contact member I4 and thesecond contact member 2I9, marked 10, in engagement therewith, by way ofthe conductor 3i I, through the second tens push-button switch 802,marked 10, and which has not been depressed, and by way of .theconductors I45 and 38, to the electromagnetic coils 35.

The coils 3I8 will thereupon effect a reclosing of the gap under thefinger I8 of the wall II, to prevent further feeding of the papers 2 outof the hopper 339, and the coils 38 will effect a reactuation of themaster switch 318, throughout a complete revolution, into engagementwith the contact members 558, 510. 512 and 514. During this revolutionof the .master'switch 318, the guide members 55 will again be raised,the said table SI will again be rotated through a halfrevolution, theguide members 55 will again be relowered, and the coils 3I8 will againbecome energized to eifect resumption of feeding of the papers out ofthe said hopper, in the same manner as before described.

The feeding of the papers, recommenced at the end of the stacking of therst five papers, has continued until the discs 2I3 ancl2I1 becamerotated sufficiently to effect the stacking of a group of ten additionalpapers on the stacking table, but turned 180 degrees with respect to thesaid first group of five papers.v The stack on the said-table 9| willnow contain fifteen papers, the

lower group of ve facing with their unfolded edges in one direction, andthe next group of ten facing with their unfolded edges in the oppositedirection. A further group of ten papers will now be stacked, with theiredges in the same direction as those of the original five stackedpapers. Upon the accumulation of these additional ten papers, making atotal of twenty-five, the same operations will again take place.

In this manner, underthe control of the selector commutating discs 2|3and 2|1 and the contact members 91 and I9, which are closed when thetable I2 is lowered, the cams |05 will be raised to lift the table I2,thereby to interrupt the feed of the papers out of the said hopper, atthe end of the feed of groups of 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 65 papers. Underthe control of the master switch 318, in cooperation with the switchmembers 22 and 24, between the feeding of successive groups of thepapers, the guide members 55 will be raised, the said table 9| with thestack thereon will be turned a half-revolution, the guide members 55will be relowered, and the table I2 will be relowered to recommence thefeeding and stacking of the papers.

At the end of the feeding and stacking of the 65th paper in th'e stack,the contact member I4 will be in contact with the contact member 2|9marked 60. 'Ihe above-described circuit of the coils 3|8, through thesixth units push-button switch 608, and from the roll SI2, and by way ofthe conductors |43 and 320, has, therefore, again been established, asbefore, to stop the feed of the papers out of the hopper, 339. Thecircuit to the electromagnetic coils 39, for actuating the master switch318, extending from the contact,

member I4, by way of the conductor 423, to the tens push-button switch802 marked 60, will, this time, however, be open, because this tenspushbutton switch 6 20 marked 60 has been depressed, to insulate thearms of its corresponding jack 9| 2.

There will not, therefore, be any further repetition of the operationsbefore described of actuating the guide members 55 or turning the saidtable 9|. After 65 papers have thus become counted and stacked, theoperation ofthe machine becomes terminated, with the stack of 65 papers2 on the said table 9|, at rest.

The operator has become notified of the completion of the stacking ofthe 65 sheets by the signal lamp I I6, the circuit of which wasestablished simultaneously with the final establishment of the-circuitof the coils 3|8 and in parallel thereto. This circuit extends from thesleeve 25|, by way of the conductor |43 and a conductor 259, through thesignal lamp ||6, by way of the conductor 38, and through the coils 36,to the ground 35.

If the tens push-button switch 609 marked 60 had not been depressed, itwould have been possible to trace this circuit through the coils 36through this push-button switch 00 in such manner as to short-circuitthe signal lamp I I6. The coils 36 would then have become sufficientlyenergized to actuate the shaft 528 of the master switch 318, as beforedescribed. The depressing of the tens push-'button switch 606 marked 60has now prevented the short-circuiting of the signal lamp IIS. Thesignal lamp IIB will, therefore, be caused to flash. Because of the highresistance of the neon signal lamp IIS, however, there will not beenough current through the electromagnetic coils 39 to actuate the shaft318 of the master switch 028.

The illumination of the lamp IIE will constitute a signal to theoperator that the stacking of the sixty-five papers has been completed.The operator will now depress the reset push-button 294 to remove 4thestack of papers from the said table 9|. The shaft 928 will thereuponbecome clutched to the constantly rotating sprocket gear |31 (Fig. 6) toactuate the master switch 30 throughout a complete revolution.

In the first position of the master switch 30, since the leaf spring 20has been restored to its original position, a circuit will beestablished from the conductor 20, through the leaf spring 29 and thecontact members 22 and 24 and, by way of conductors 29 and 260, to themaster switch 30; and from the master switch 30 to the contactI member338. The circuit continues, by way of the conductors 31|, 1| and 12, tothe electromagnetic coils 43 and the ground 42.A The guide members 95will therefore be raised, in the izrne way as before described, aboutthe pivot When the master switch 30 engages the contact member 310, acircuit will be established from the master switch 30, through thecontact member 310 and, by way of the conductor |04, to theelectromagnetic coils 15. 'I'his will effect actuation, through acomplete revolution, in the manner before described, of the shaft 11. Acomplete revolution of the shaft 11 vwill effect a half-revolution ofthe shaft and the cam 99 mounted l thereon. The half-revolution of thecam 99 will eifect a lowering of the cam follower 421 and the shaft andthe said table 9| mounted thereon, but without disengaging the gear' 432from the rack 43|. Upon the lowering of the said table 9|, the stack ofpapers becomes lowered into engagement with the rolls 523, which effectremoval of the stack of papers over the said anti-friction rolls 523.

In its next position, the` master switch 30 engages the contact member312, which is connected, by way of .the conductor 13, to the sameconductor I 04, leading to the electromagnetic coils 15. The engagementof'the master switch 30 with the contact member 312, therefore, effectsa reclosing of the circuit of the coil 15 and a further completerevolution of the shaft 11, thereby effecting a further half-revolutionof the shaft 80 and the cam 99 thereon, to effect la reraising of thesaid table 9| to its original position. The interval between thelowering and raising of the said table 9| is sufiicient for the saidrolls 523 to perform their work of removing the stack of papers.

Upon the master switch 30 reaching the contact member 314, the circuitof the coils 43 becomes reestablished by way of the conductors 1| and12, effecting the relowering of the guide members 59 to their originalposition. The depressing of the reset push-button 294 has effecttweeneach two successivegroups.

. ber, may be stacked on the said table 9|.

button switch 806 and the depressed tens pushbutton switch 602 to theirraised positions. The machine is now ready for the accumulation of a newstack of papers on the said table 5|, the size of which is determined bythe setting oi' two other push-button switches 608 and 502. As beforedescribed, the new stacking will be recommenced by operating the startpush-button switch I0.

In the example given above, the stack of sixtyiive papers collected onthe saidl table 9|, as determined by the units push-button switch marked5 and the tens push-button switch marked 60, was constituted of onegroup of ilve papers and six groups each of ten papers, the said tableSi having been turned through halfrotatlons during interruptions of thefeed be- The number of papers in the first group may be' varied oradjusted, as desired, from zero to nine, depending upon which unitpush-button switch 605, has been manually depressed. 'I'he actuation ofthe units disc 2|3 from its initial position to a position correspondingto the depressed push-button switch 602 will determine, in all cases,the variable number of papers in the first group stacked.

If the units push-button switch 606 marked had been depressed, theabove-described circuit from the conductor B25 would, at the verybeginning, have continued through the arms of its jack SI directly tothe segmental contact member 524 marked 0 and -the cooperating contactmember 2| 5 marked 0; and then, through the conducting annulus 250, thesleeve 25l'and the conducting annulusV 252, directly to the segmentalcontact member Il of the commutating disc 2|1. The machine would thenhave stacked a rst group of ten papers, a second group of ten papersreversed in position to the first group, a third group of ten paperspositioned in the same direction as the first group, and so on, up to atotal oi sixty papers. i

It will further be observed that if the tens pushbutton switch 802marked 0 had been depressed, it would not have been possible to tracethe above-described circuit through lthis tens pushbutton switch B02.The machine would then have stopped operating at the end oi' thestacking of the first group of five papers, instead of continuing untilsixty-five papers were accumulated. Depending upon which unitspush-button switch 555 is depressed, in combination with this-tenspush-button switch 605 marked 0, therefore, groups of papers, each lessthan ten in num- The feed will be interrupted, at the end of thestacking of each of these groups, whereupon the said the conductor |45,in the same way that the tens push-button switches 802 are shownconnected to the conductor |45 in Fig. 14. If it is desired to countinto the thousands, a fourth set of pushbutton switches and a fourthcommutating disc like the disc 2|1 would be provided, and so on.

l The feed oi' the papers 2 may be stopped at any time by depressing theemergency stop pushbutton switch |12. A circuit is then established fromthe conductor 25, through the leaf spring 20, the contact members i8 andB1 and the leaf spring IB and, by way of the conductors 25, 530 and 525,to the stop push-button switch |12, shuntlng the push-button switches602 and 505, and the commutating discs 2 Il and 2|1. 'Ihe circuitcontinues from the stop push-button switch |12, by way of a conductor 84and the conductors 258 and |25, to thecoils SIB and the ground 580. Thecoils SIB will thus become energized to actuate the shaft through ahalf-revolution, thereby, through the cams |05. to raise the table l2 tostop the further feeding of the papers out of the said hopper.

By maintaining the start-push-button switch I5 depressed, theabove-described circuit of the electro-magnetic coils 3|8 controlledthereby will be maintained continuously closed. In this manner, thepapers may be caused to feed continuously through the machine, withoutthe ald of the selector, until either the stop push-button switch g I5is raised, to enable the depressed push-buttable 9| may be lowered, asbefore described, by 'i' the master switch 30, to enable the rolls 523to remove each group before the stacking of the next group. The sameresult mayfofv course, be obtained by omitting the tens push-buttonswitches 802 and the commutating disc 2|1 connected therewith, andconnecting the conductor |45 directly to the conducting sleeve 25|.

On the other hand, when it is desired to count into hundreds, the eighttens push-button switches 602 will be increased to ten, and a third setof push-button switches will be provided, as before stated, togetherwith a third commutating disc, corresponding tothe disc 2 I1, and athird arrangement oi contact members corresponding to the contactmembers 2|9. The contact members of the third arrangement would beconnected through the third set of push-button switches to ton switches652 and B05 to assume control, or until lthehopper 339 becomes entirelyemptied. This is an advantage when it is desired merely to count thepapers to any number, at will.

Modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such areconsidered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, asdeilned in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A switch structure having, in combination, two relatively actuableassemblages each having a group of substantially equally spaced contactmembers extending over substantially equal distances, one of the groupshaving more contact members than the other group, and means forrelatively actuating the assemblages to cause the contact members of oneof the groups to engage singly the contact members of the other group.

2. A switch structure having, in combination, two relatively actuableassemblages each having a group 'of substantially equally spaced contactmembers extending over substantially equal distances, one of thev groupshaving one more contact member than the other group, and means forrelatively actuating the assemblages to cause the contact members of oneof the groups to engage singly and successively the contact members ofthe other group.

3. A switch structure having, in combination, a rotatable disc having agroup of substantially equally spaced contact members, a group ofcooperating substantially equally spaced contact members, one of thegroups-having one more contact member than the other group, and meansfor rotating the disc to cause the contact members of one of the groupsto engage singly and successively the contact members of the othergroup.

4. A switch structure having. in combination, two relatively actuableassemblages each having a group of substantially equally spaced contactmembers extending over substantially equal distances, one of the groupshaving more contact members than the other group, two further rela-

